Apparatus for inducing pyrexia



March 28, 1950 c. R. D. BURNS .E1-Al.

APPARATUS FOR INDUCING PYREXIA 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 7, 1946 March 28, 1950 c. R. D. BURNS ET AL 2,501,989

APPARATUS FOR INDUCING PYREXIA Filed Aug. 7, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS C'karles R. D. B urn/J vqlbe ri IYS Lz/ej ATTDRN EYB Patented Mar. 28, 1950 OFFICE APPARATUS FOR INDUCING PYREXIA Charles R. D. Burns and Albert R. Sivley,

Gadsden, Ala.

Application August 7, 1946, Serial No. 688,840

2 Claims. (C1. 12s- 373) The invention relates to a human body treating apparatus, and more especially to an apparatus for inducing pyrexia in the treatment of various diseases and disorders of the body.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character, wherein pyrexia is produced by circulating about 'and bringing in contact with the-patients body confined vwithin the apparatus suitably heated vwater nebulized or atomized that a more or less soothing effect is had upon the peripheral nerve l endings through elevating the body temperature. "Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character, whereinf'the heat and humidity therein is controlled by asystem of fans and electric resistance coils, these being regulated by thermostatic action, whereby accuracy in the working thereof is had automatically for the raising or lowering artificial fever conditions as may be required in the properA treatment of a patient within a determined period of time. A further object of the invention is the provisionof an apparatus of this character, wherein the patient can be rolled into and vout of the same, without discomfort, and while the said patient is lying down or reclining, the appara-'- tus being of novel construction and is unique in the assembly of its parts.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character, which is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and efficient in operation, strong, durable, compact, possessed of few parts, automaticin the working thereof, readily andeasily accessible, andinexpensive to manufacture and install. With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement 'of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention with the end closure opened and a patient being partially admitted thereto.

Figure 2 is to top plan view;

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the apparatus with the same occupied by a patient;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 4 4 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the apparatus constituting the present invention, comprises an elongated or rectangular shaped boxlike cabinet denoted generally at A, including vertical fiat side walls I0, bottom II, top I2, one permanently closed end I3, and a horizontally swinging door I4, for opening and closing the other end opposite the said end I3 respectively, while built within this cabinet upon the bottom I I thereof in its longitudinal direction is a raised track, involving the spaced parallel rails I5. On the rails I5 is adapted to travel the traction wheels 6 of a movable cot I1, for occupancy by a patient, to be treated within the apparatus, the -patient being identified at I8.

The cot I1 occupied by the patient I8 is admitted to the cabinet through the open end, when the door I4 is swung to a position for opening such end, as best seen in Figures l and 2 of the drawings. At the open end of the cabinet is a vertically swingable railed tracking section I9, it having pivotal connection at 20 to a foundation 2| so that the section when in a lowered position forms a continuation of the track rails I5 within the cabinet while the door I4 is in an opening position, whereby the cot I1 can be rolled into and out of the cabinet on a level common to both the section I9 and the track rails I5 within the said cabinet, thus relieving any jolting of the patient when making the admission or exit to and from the cabinet, as is best seen in Figures l and 2 of the drawings. The section I9 is raised to the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure l of the drawings when the patienthas been fully admittedV into the cabinet A, so that the door I4 can be closed for shutting or closing the open end of the said cabinet.

At the top I2 of the cabinet A, approximately at the longitudinal and transverse center thereof, is a dome 22 creating a chamber 23 therein, which at its open bottom has confronting it, a suspension rack 24, the top I2 at the open bottom of the dome being cut away, for the depending of the rack 24 into the compartment 25 created by the cabinet. This rack 24 is of skeleton framework to be open at the sides and end thereof, and held within the rack is a moisture tray or pan 26, while carried by the sides and ends of the dome 22, midway thereof, are horizontally disposed ventilator tubes 21, any one of which is adapted for the detachable coupling of the atomizer nozzle 28 of a spray gun 29 therein, the latter being manually operated and trigger controlled, so that water or other liquid can be sprayed from its container 29', under pressure therein, to the interior of the dome 22, whence the compartment 25 within the cabinet will become Vaporized or humidifled thereby. The other tubes 2 not coupled with the spray gun 29 will function as ventilators for the dome 22 and cabinet A at Vthe chamber 23 and compartment 25 respectively.

Suitably supported upon the top I2 of the cabinet A to one side of the dome 22 is `:an -air room-- pressor 3D, having a supply hose 3l leading therefrom to the container 29' ofthe spray gun 29, so that when the compressor is operating thecontent of the container will 'be subjected Ato air pressure for the spray action of the gun, the

ture of the apparatus thereby increasing the gen` eral body temperature in a shorter duration of time.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising a cabinet open at one end only and forming an accessible compartment within, trackage.

vdome having an `open bottom, electric heating elements'v within the dome projecting into its chamber, a 'rack depending from the top of the cabinet for suspension beneath the chamber of saiddome, a tray in the rack, a plurality of venticompressor 3U being powered by an velectric motor 32 therewith.

Hung Within the chamber '23 in the dome 22 from the top thereof is an electric fan 34, its bladed wheel 3'5 directing downward draft within the said chamber. Within the `compartment in the cabinet A on a shelf 3B .is an electric fan 31, While each side wall vIll of the said compartment has formed therein Ventilating holes 38.

Protruding inwardly from opposite ends of the dome 2,2 are plural electric heating units 39, or the coil type, and arranged in parallel in an electric circuit 40, including a manually adjustable thermostat 4I, leading from a source of electric current supply 42.

The cabinet A within its compartment 25 is equipped with an electric light 43 which Yis in electrical connection with the source `of current supply 42, which also has connected therewith an external electric light 44 at the top I2 of the said cabinet without the same.

The top of the cabinet A in proximity `to the head occupying end of the cot l1 within the compartment 25 is located a transparent paneled Window 45, which lis hinged at 46 to ythe said having the .driving connections 33 top, -and by this window observation of Athe patient within the compartment A25 may be had from Without the cabinet A. On the opening Aof the window 45 access canbe had to the patient for whatever purposes desired, the window being provided with a hand knob or grip 4l, for the handling thereof.

In the use of the apparatus the temperature treatment to the body of a patient when occupying the cabinet can be controlled automatically, the temperature ranging from external environmental ktemperature to that of 175 F., Within #6 indenitely, and humidity can be controlled to any desired percentage., as well .as subjecting .the patientsrespirating system to internal tempera lating tubes, leading into the dome chamber, a. manually controlled atomizer gun coupled to one of the Ventilating tubes for atomizing liquid within the ydome chamber, an adjustable )electric thermostat in circuit with the electric heating elements for controlling the heat .activ-ity thereof, `and electric fans arranged within the chamber and Icompartment respectively.

2. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising a cabinet open at one .end onlyand .forming -an accessible compartment within, trackage at the bottom of the compartment, a wheeled cot movable on the trackage .and admitted into the compartment through the open .end thereof, a dome rising from the cabinet at vapproximately the longitudinal and transverse center thereof and forming a chamber opening into the .compartment, electric heating elements within the dome projecting into its chamber, a rack `depending from -the top of the cabinet for Isuspension beneath the chamber of said dome, :a .tray in the rack, a plurality of Ventilating tubes leading into the dome chamber, a manually controlled atomizer gun coupled toone of the ventilating tubes for atomizing liquid within the `dome chamber, an adjustable electric vthermostat in circuit with the electric heating elements for controlling the heat activity thereof,` electric fans arranged within the chamber and compartment respectively, and an air compressor operatively connected to the gun.-

CHARLES R. D. BURNS. ALBERT R. SIVLEY.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in ythe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name ,Date

1059314 Petter Apr. 15, v1913 2,068,612 Sttler Jan. ,19, 1937 

